Pillars of Fate Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Card Details
  • Quest Anatomy
  • Card Anatomy
• Gameplay
  • Gameplay Overview
  • On Your Turn
  • Divine Cards
  • Quest Modifiers
  • Resolving an Age
  • Starting a New Age
• Game End
• Strategy Tips
• Divine Card Glossary
• Credits

Components

• 1 Rulebook
• 1 First Player Marker
• 3 Pillar Markers
• 20 Score Tokens
• 64 Champion Cards
• 2 Reference Cards
• 9 Quest Modifiers
• 12 Quest Cards
• 20 Divine Cards

Setup

1. Each player takes the sun or moon champion deck (different color backs), shuffles it, and draws 4 cards to place to the side.
2. Shuffle the Divine deck.
3. Deal 3 Divine cards to each player.
4. Players simultaneously select 1 card to keep, passing the other 2 to their opponent.
5. Each player sets their 3 Divine cards aside.
6. Shuffle the quest cards by Age. Place 3 Age I quest cards in a row on the table, between both players.
7. Place 1 random quest modifier token face up on the center quest.
8. Place 1 pillar marker on each quest.
9. Each player draws 5 cards from their champion deck.
10. Choose a starting player and give them the 1st player marker.

Card Details

Quest Anatomy

Each quest card displays:

1. Conditional Rewards: Two possible point values. Omega symbols are positive renown and sickles are negative renown.
2. Scorpion Path: Renown awarded if scorpions dominate.
3. Feather Path: Renown awarded if feathers dominate.
4. Age Indicator: Shows which Age deck the quest belongs to.

Card Anatomy

1. Power Value: Number representing the card's strength.
2. Suit Icons: feathers and scorpions.
3. Player Deck Indicator: A moon or sun symbol.

Note: Cards may show a suit of several feathers or scorpions; the icon set on the side of a card is for reference while the card is in hand.

Gameplay

Gameplay Overview

Pillars of Fate unfolds over 3 Ages. During each Age, players alternate turns, strategically placing cards from their hand into 3 quest lanes.

An Age ends when each of the 3 lanes are full.

On Your Turn

First, play 1 card into any lane.

• Each lane can hold up to 3 cards per player.*
• 1 card per lane may be played face down.*
• If you are the first to place a face-up card in a lane, move the pillar to your side.

Then, draw back up to 5 cards.

* Unless modified by quest modifiers or cards.

Divine Cards

Once per Age, you must play a Divine card. Divine cards possess special powers that can significantly influence your control over a lane or even adjacent lanes. You may select from any of your 3 unplayed Divine cards.

While some Divine cards must be played face up, indicated by an icon, most Divine cards can be played face down. Even when played face down, your opponent will be aware that you've played a Divine card in that position because of their unique back.

The Divine cards that must be played face up usually possess an action that you will perform immediately upon playing. A description of Divine cards can be found in the Divine Card Glossary.

Note: You cannot use more than 1 of your Divine cards each Age.

Quest Modifiers

During setup a quest modifier was placed on the center quest, which applies to both sides in this specific lane. The modifiers are:

• Each first card played will have its power doubled.
• Each first card played will have its suit doubled.
• Each first card played will have no power.
• Each first card played will have no suit.
• Play only 2 cards in this lane.
• Play 4 cards in this lane.
• 2 cards can be played face down in this lane.
• The player with the least power will win this lane.
• No Divine cards may be played in this lane.

Resolving an Age

The end of an Age triggers when each of the 3 lanes are full.

1. Reveal all face-down cards.
2. For each quest lane:
   • Count the number of feather and scorpion icons for each player.
   • The dominant suit determines which conditional reward applies.
   • The player with the highest power total wins the quest.
   • Ties in either suit or power are decided by the player that holds the pillar for that lane. In a tie for suit, that player will pick either suit, and in a tie for power, that player will pick who wins.
3. Award renown according to the conditional rewards for each quest.

Starting a New Age

To set up the next Age:

1. Remove all quests, modifiers, and cards from the play area.
2. Place 3 new quest cards that match the current Age.
3. Place a new quest modifier on the middle quest.
4. Return the pillars to the top of the quest cards.
5. Pass the 1st player marker.

You are now ready to begin the next Age!

Game End

After 3 Ages, players count their victory point tokens.

The player with the most renown wins.

Tie breaker: Whoever has more pillars in the last round wins.

Strategy Tips

• Consider whether winning a quest is worthwhile – some conditional rewards award negative renown.
• Use face-down cards to mislead your opponent.
• Pay attention to pillar marker control for breaking ties.
• Strike a balance between overwhelming power and suit manipulation.
• Quest rewards increase in value across Ages, making later Ages more crucial to victory.

Divine Card Glossary

• Aponi - Other cards in your lane with Aponi that have a power of 8 become 2.
• Arbiter - If this card is played face down, its suit will be 4 scorpions.
• Belan - All of your cards played in the same lane as Belan have their suits reversed.
• Eradan - Your other lanes have an additional 2 power.
• Hadria - If your opponent wins the lane where Hadria is played, they lose 5 Renown in addition to any quest awards.
• Invictus - If this card is played first in your lane, it is just a 0 card, it does not copy your opponents card. Invictus copies the suit and power of a card above it in your lane.
• Isabel - If the opponent card opposite of Isabel in this lane has a suit, reverse the suit.
• Klar - If this card is played face down, its power becomes -1.
• Mother to All - Gain 10 renown if you lose all quest lanes.
• Naka - Your other quest lanes may have 2 face-down cards.
• Namari - You may look at any played (including opponent's) face-down card secretly then return it.
• Pentha - The opponent card's power opposite of Pentha becomes 0.
• Prophet - If you win the lane that you have played the Prophet in, gain 5 renown.
• Saghari - Other cards in your lane with Saghari that have a power of 3 become 7.
• Sorcerer - When played, take another card from any of your lanes and exchange it with one from your hand.
• Steward - Lanes to the left of this card will have 2 additional total scorpions and lanes to the right of this card will have 2 additional total feathers.

Credits

• Game Design: Zac Dixon, Austin Harrison, Max Anderson
• Creative Director: Zac Dixon
• Illustration: Harry Conway, Michael Cribbs
• Graphic Design: Dane Baudoin
• Production: Samuel Cowden, Kirk Dennison, Dane Baudoin
• Community Management: Lilly Quach

IV Studio. Contact: [email protected]